Mets' Francisco Lindor Sends Message About Pete Alonso's Free Agency

The Mets' superstar shortstop is eagerly awaiting the free agency decision of his teammate and friend.

Oct 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) celebrates in the dugout after scoring in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game six of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

This weekend saw the first base free agent market explode, with a multitude of signings and trades across the league.

However, the best free agent at the position is still available; that, of course, is Pete Alonso, the New York Mets' beloved slugger. Over his six seasons in Queens, the 30-year-old has clubbed 226 home runs and hit no fewer than 34 in any full season. Along the way, Alonso became a fan-favorite and one of the brightest beacons in the team's clubhouse.

As such, when teammate and close friend Francisco Lindor was asked about his thoughts of Alonso's eventual free agency decision, he stressed that Alonso has earned the right to choose where he wants to play.

“Pete should maximize this moment because he’s worked so hard,” Lindor said. “He’s going to have to make this decision himself as to where he wants to go. At the end of the day, he should do what’s best for him and his family – whether that’s with the Mets or somebody else. He’s a fantastic player and person and if we have him back on our team, it would be amazing. If not, he’ll still go and do great things.”

On the topic of clubhouse leadership, Alonso and Lindor are perhaps the two unofficial leaders of the team; it was the 31-year-old acrobatic infielder who organized the players-only meeting on May 29, which became the turning point of the Mets' 2024 campaign.

There's no secret that Lindor would prefer Alonso to stay in a Mets uniform, even with his belief that the slugger would be great anywhere. But after this weekend, a reunion is becoming increasingly more likely.

Christian Walker's signing with the Houston Astros set a chain reaction of signings and trades in the first base market; this included Paul Goldschmidt signing with the cross-town Yankees (the Mets themselves were involved in talks with Goldschmidt), Josh Naylor being traded from the Cleveland Guardians to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Carlos Santana subsequently signing with Cleveland. Although there are options outside of Alonso that are still available, nearly all of New York's stopgap options are gone.

The stopgap options would also imply that the team would be going after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Munetaka Murakami next offseason, but those two will likely command bigger deals than Alonso. The record-setting contract given to Juan Soto earlier this offseason may also set a bar for Guerrero to pursue, a price that the Mets would prefer not to pay again.

Given Alonso's track record on the field and how much he means to his teammates (such as Lindor), fans, and the franchise as a whole, the best first base option for the Mets has been Alonso the entire time.